The Angelic Gospel Singers

The Angelic Gospel Singers were an American gospel quartet founded in 1944 by Margaret Wells Allison in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Original members included Allison, her sister Josephine Wells McDowell, Ella Mae Norris, and Lucille Shird. The group was known for their piano-led quartet style, which combined close harmony singing with a propulsive piano-organ gospel sound. They signed a recording contract with Gotham Records in 1947. In 1949, their recording “Touch Me, Lord Jesus” reached Billboard’s R&B charts and reportedly sold over a million copies.

From the mid-1950s until 1982, the group’s output was released by Nashboro Records. In 1961, they added their first male member, Thomas Mobley. The Angelic Gospel Singers recorded and toured with the Dixie Hummingbirds. Later recordings were issued by Malaco Records through the 1990s. Their catalog includes the songs “Glory, Glory to the Newborn King” and albums such as Don’t Stop Praying (1984), 40 Years (1985), I’ve Got Victory (1986), Out of the Depths (1987), Touch Me Again, and The Big Question (Where Will You Spend Eternity) (1997). I’ve Got Victory reached number 26 on the Billboard Gospel Albums chart in 1986, and Out of the Depths reached number 28 the following year.

The group’s career spanned from the 1940s through the mid-2000s, ending following the death of Margaret Wells Allison in 2008.